Porthole cover assembly



06; 17, ENGLERT PORT HOLE COVER ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 19, 1942 2Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS Oct. 17, 1944. A. ENGLERT 7 PORT HOLE COVERASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 19, 1942 2 sheejs sheet 2 BY Z ATTORA/EYS.

Patented Oct. 17, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTHOLE- COVERASSEMBLY Adam Englert, Milwaukee, Wis. Application December 19, 1942,Serial No. 469,524

stituting my present improvement, and of the 2 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to an improved port hole coveror closure assembly, and has for its object the provision of simple andeffective means for effecting varied opening of a port hole having acompound co'ver assembly associated therewith.

Port holes for vessels are ordinarily provided with at least twocooperating closure covers pivotally suspended from the adjacent wall,so that either or both of the compound closures may be opened or closed.The innermost cover is usually solid or opaque, while the intermediatecover which is located directly adjacent to the port hole istransparent, so that by opening the inner cover the port hole willremain sealed but a transparent window will still be provided. Bysubsequently also opening the intermediate cover, the port hole will becompletely uncovered for purposes of ventilation or the like, and bothof these cover plates are customarily suspended from a common pivot andare adapted to be clamped shut with the aid of a common set of clampingdevices only a part of which need be released inorder to effect openingof the inside cover. While rigs for holding these covers in openposition have heretofore been provided, these prior holding devices wererather cumbersome, difficult to manipulate, and relatively dangerous inuse; and they did not provide for convenient and desirable variableopening of the transparent window closure. The prior holding deviceswere moreover of such construction that they could not be effectivelyapplied in cramped quarters or where obstructions such as pipes werelocated near the port holes.

It is therefore a more specific object of my present invention toprovide a new and useful port hole cover assemblage of compact anddurable construction, wherein either of the closure elements may beconveniently opened or closed at will, and in which at least the sealingcover may be opened more or less and positively retained in the desiredposition of adjustment.

Another specific object of the present inventi-on is to provide improvedinstrumentalities for automatically and safely latching a number ofcooperating covers in several selected positions with respect to anopening such as a port hole, with which the covers normally coact.

Still another specific object of this invention is to provide animprovedport hole frame and cover assembly wherein the cover retaining devicesall form an integral part of the compact assembly, thereby permittingready and convenient installation and manipulation of the improved unitsin crowded quarters and regardless of adjacent obstructions.

These and other specific objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of the several features conconstruction and operationof a port hole and cover assembly built in accordance with theinvention, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying andforming a part of this specification wherein like reference charactersdesi nate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Fig. l is a front and left hand side perspective view of one of theimproved port hole assem-- blages, showing both covers clamped shut;

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view of the same assemblage with theinnermost opaque cover fully opened and positively held in openposition, while the intermediate transverse cover remains sealed;

Fig. -3 is a front and right hand side perspective view of the porth-ole assemblage, showing the innermost opaque cover fully opened, andthe transparent intermediate cover only partially opened and held inpart-open position;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view similar to that of Fig. 3, but showing bothcovers wide open'and positivelyretained; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front view of the cover latching mechanism.

While the invention has been shown and described herein by way ofillustration, as being especially applicable to port hole assemblies forships or vessels, it is not my desire or intent to unnecessarily limitthescope or utility of the improvement by virtue of this specificembodiment.

Referring to the drawings, the port hole assemblage shown thereincomprises in general, an approximately circular member or frame 6 havingan unobstructed opening or port hole 1 formed centrally therein, andbeing firmly attached to a wall 8; a set of four diametrically opposedsets of screw clamps 9, ll! swingably suspended from ears II on theframe 6, by means of pivot pins l2; and outside or intermediate cover I3having a transparent window l4 therein, swingably suspended from anupper horizontal pivot shaft l5 mounted in ears l6 formed integral withthe frame 6, and being provided with four sets of peripheral lugs 11, H3with which all of the clamps 9, II! are cooperable; an inside opaquecover [9 also swingably suspended from the upper horizontal pivot shaftI5, and being provided with only two sets of diametrically oppositeperipheral lugs 20 which are cooperable with the clamps IE] only; and apair of cover retaining hooks 2!, 22 swingably suspended from anauxiliary pivot bolt 23 mounted in the frame ears l6, and beingcooperable with notches 2 4, 25, 26 formed on the cover suspension lugs21, 28.

The wall 8 may be part of the hull of a ship clamped shut. The screwclamps 9, II) are of well known construction, and by causing the clampsII) to coast with only two sets of lugs on the inside cover I9, theseclamps I I! may be released without necessarily releasing the clamps 9,so as to permit opening of the opaque cover I9 without releasing theWindow cover I3, as

illustrated in Fig, 2. The retaining hook 2I is adapted to coact onlywith the single notch 24 formed on the suspension lug 21 of the innercover I9, and the other retaining hook 22 is adapted to coact with thetwo notches 25, 26 formed on the suspension lug 28 of the window cover I3. These hooks 2I, 22 are freely swingably suspended from the pivot bolt23 so that they will drop into the adjacent notches 24, 25, 26 bygravity when the corresponding covers I3, I9 are swung upwardly; and inorder to maintain the latch hook 2| in the plane of the lug 21, themedial portion of the bolt 23 may be embraced by a tube or spacingsleeve as shown in Fig. 5. In order to facilitate lifting and loweringof the covers I3, I9, the intermediate cover I3 is provided with amanipulating lug 3|, and the innermost cover I9 is likewise providedwith a manipulating lug 32.

Normally the covers I3, I9 will be in closed position as illustrated inFig. 1, and all of the screw clamps 9, II] will be effective to holdboth covers in closed position. If it is desired to open the innermostcover I9 only, it is only necessary to release the screw clamps I0 and.to swing the same out of engagement with the clamping lugs 20 as shownin Fig. 2, whereupon the inner cover I9 may be raised to open position.As this cover I9 is swung upwardly the hook 2! Will ride along the lug21 and will eventually drop into engagement with the notch 24, whereuponthe hook 2I will positively prevent the cover I9 from droppingdownwardly until the hook is subsequently released. The window I4 willthen be uncovered and occupants of the room or vessel have a clear viewthrough this window.

If it becomes desirable to partially open the intermediate cover I3, theclamps 9 should be released and this cover may then be raised to theposition shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the hook 22 will ride along thesuspension lug 28 of the cover I3 and will engage the uppermost notch25. The transparent window cover I3 will then be positively retained inan angular position with the plane of the window l4 disposed at an angleof approximately 45 to the plane of the wall 8. When it becomesdesirable to fully open the Window cover I3, this cover may be elevatedto the position illustrated in ,Fig. 4, whereupon the second notch 26 ofthe suspension lug 28 will be engaged by the hook 22, thereby positivelyholding the cover I3 in fully open position beneath the previouslyopened cover I9.

In order to release either of the covers I3, I9, it is only necessary toslightly additionally elevate these covers so as to permit convenientrelease of the respective retaining hooks 2I, 22. The covers may then besuccessively lowered and subsequently again clamped into the positionshown in Fig. -l in an obvious manner. It will thus be noted that theinnermost cover I9 may be independently opened or closed, withoutnecessarily completely releasing the intermediate window cover I3, andthat both covers may be opened or closed at will and are positivelyretained in open position by the latch hooks 2 I, 22. While it isordinarily only desirable to provide a single notch for holding theinnermost cover I9 in fully-opened position, it is usually desirable toprovide two or more positions of opening of the intermediate cover I3.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that thepresent invention provides a port hole cover assembly having effectivelatch means embodied directly therein, so that the entire assemblage maybe installed or removed as a unit. The compactness of the improvedassemblage will obviously permit application thereof in places where thesurrounding zone is relatively obstructed, and eliminates necessity ofproviding cable suspensions from the ceiling or overhead deck, as washeretofore required. The improved assemblage can be readily installedand conveniently manipulated Without danger of having the covers dropunexpectedly, and the invention has proven highly successful in actualuse.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this inventionto the exact details of construction or to the precise mode of use,herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scopeof the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In combination, a fixed frame having a port hole therein and beingprovided with a pair of laterally spaced integral ears above saidopening, a pair of parallel horizontal pivots mounted in said ears andprojecting outwardly therebeyond, a transparent closure cover for saidopening swingably suspended from the projecting opposite ends of one ofsaid pivots closely adjacent to the outer sides of said ears, anon-transparent cover for said opening swingably suspended from the samepivot between and closely adjacent to the inner sides of said ears, eachof said covers having a retaining notch and the said notch on one of thecovers being adjacent to one of said ears while the notch on the othercover is adjacent to the other ear, and a pair of retainer hooksswingably suspended from the other of said pivots and being cooperablewith said notches respectively.

2. In combination, a fixed frome having a port hole therein and beingprovided with a pair of laterally spaced integral ears above saidopening, a pair of parallel horizontal pivots mounted in said ears andprojecting outwardly therebeyond, a transparent inner cover for saidopening swingably suspended from the projecting opposite ends of one ofsaid pivots closely adjacent to the outer sides of said ears, an outercover for said opening swingably suspended from the same pivot betweenand closely adjacent to the inner sides of said ears, a retaining notchformed on said outer cover disposed near one of said cars, a series ofretaining notches formed on said inner cover near the other of saidears, and a pair of retainer hooks swingably suspended from opposite endportions of the other of said pivots and being cooperable with theadjacent notches respectively.

ADAM ENGLERT.

